To be honest we are probably guilty subsiding the airline but state aid happens all the time.
Natwest still sponsor various sorting events with tax payers money, the other week there was public demand to help British steel and last year Nissan were offered millions to build a new car in the uk. Financial doping, depends how you look at it.
It’s not illegal to do this and that is probably the city stand point. It’s been declared in the company accounts for Etihad airlines and is legal and has nothing to do with uefa where the sponsors get there money!
Shame Uefa doesn’t scrutinise it’s own sponsors and ask where the money has come from and can the sponsor afford it